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RNS No 2724u
BELL ATLANTIC CORPORATION
23rd September 1997

      Bell Atlantic Declares Post-Merger Dividend Increase

- Board Moves Consideration of Increases to Third Quarter -

NEW YORK CITY -- The board of directors of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) today
declared the first dividend following its merger with NYNEX Corp., increasing
the quarterly dividend 4.0 percent to $.77 per outstanding common share, an
annual rate of $3.08. 

This dividend increase is the second in 1997, and marks  the 14th increase in 13
years.  On March 25, an increase from $.72 to $.74 per share was declared.

"This dividend increase reflects our confidence in the long-term growth
prospects of the new Bell Atlantic," said Bell Atlantic Chairman and CEO Ray
Smith, "and in our ability to capitalize on the opportunities offered to us by
the changes in our industry."

Smith also noted that, beginning in 1998, the board's regular consideration of
possible dividend increases will take place in the third quarter of each year,
for payment in November. The board's practice before the merger was to consider
increases in the first quarter, for payment in May. 

The increased dividend declared today will be payable on Nov. 3, 1997, to
shareowners of record on Oct. 10, 1997.  The company has approximately 1.3
million registered shareowners and approximately 776.7 million shares of common
stock outstanding.

The increase was contemplated by the companies in their definitive merger
agreement and communicated to shareowners in the Sept. 1996 merger proxy
statement.  In the merger, NYNEX shareowners received 0.768 of a share of Bell
Atlantic common stock in exchange for each share of NYNEX common stock.  The new
dividend payment is equivalent to what former NYNEX shareowners would have
received from the NYNEX quarterly dividend of $.59 per share.

The new Bell Atlantic -- formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX
-- is at the forefront of the new communications, information and entertainment
industry.  With 40 million telephone access lines and 5.5 million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced
wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the
world's largest publishers of directory information.  Bell Atlantic companies
are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global
communications markets, with operations and investments in 21 countries.

INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media
contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News
Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by
e-mail, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery
of Bell Atlantic news releases.



END


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